"In selecting David, the Smithsonian has acknowledged what we at Cornell already know — that David is that rare leader who can guide a great institution to even greater achievement. They could not have made a better choice," Cornell Board of Trustees Chairman Robert Harrison said in a statement.

According to the university, Harrison will soon select the members for a search committee to find Cornell's 13th president.

"Becoming a part of the Smithsonian is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to lead an institution that is at the heart of the country’s cultural, artistic, historical and scientific life," Skorton said in a Smithsonian statement. A board-certified cardiologist, Skorton will be the first physician to lead the Smithsonian.